Jail's demise fine farewell for sheriff

CITY INSIDER

Rachel Gordon, Stephanie Lee, Will Kane

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

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San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey, who is retiring after 32 years in office, in one of the cells at the old jail facility in San Bruno, Calif., on Wednesday, November 29, 2011. He started as a lawyer working with social workers at this facility. less

San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey, who is retiring after 32 years in office, in one of the cells at the old jail facility in San Bruno, Calif., on Wednesday, November 29, 2011. He started as a lawyer ... more

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

Jail's demise fine farewell for sheriff

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San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennesseycame into office 32 years ago vowing to do something about the deplorable conditions at the city's Depression-era jail located in San Bruno. It was finally shut down five years ago when a new jail next door was opened.

And now, just days before his administration comes to a close Sunday and Supervisor Ross Mirkarimitakes over, a wrecking ball will start to knock down the old lockup - a fitting cap to Hennessey's long tenure.

"I ran for sheriff of San Francisco because I believed it was wrong to have prisoners living in and deputies working in such dangerous conditions," Hennessey said in his push to get the jail shuttered.

"Never did I realize that getting it done would take years of bureaucratic wrangling, a federal class-action lawsuit, two failed bond measures and a U.S. District Court judge declaring the conditions so bad that they violated the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment," Hennessey said Tuesday.

The first destructive whack at the decommissioned jail is scheduled this morning, with Hennessey presiding over the festivities. He plans to christen the wrecking ball with a bottle of sparkling cider - not the traditional bottle of Champagne, his office noted, because alcoholic beverages are prohibited on jail grounds.

Sail away: The newly released race courses for the America's Cup in 2013 provide a preview of the short, intense contests that will be visible from land.

The four courses posted on the regatta's website last week will be used in the America's Cup Challenger Series (July 4-Sept. 1, 2013) and the 34th America's Cup finals (Sept. 7-22). The courses "will force tight, close and aggressive racing, making for spectacular competition," race organizers said.

"These race course definitions come following the testing we've been able to do at the America's Cup World Series and are the result of a lot of consultation with the teams," Iain Murray, the regatta's director, said in a news release. "The courses remain short and tight. The longest is targeted at a one-hour race, the shortest at 30 minutes."

Under a set of boundaries outlined in the event's final environmental impact report, the yachts will stick close to the waterfront. The course is roughly bounded by the Embarcadero, Piers 27 to 29, an area north of Alcatraz Island and a spot just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge.

To prepare for the finals next year, the first vessels and sailors will hit the water in August for the America's Cup World Series.

- Stephanie Lee

Snubbed: Quick, name the most recognizable, most alluring, most incredibly famous bridges in the world.

No doubt your No. 1 choice is something like Pont Neuf in Paris or Ponte Vecchio in Florence. We get that.

But somewhere in there we'd guess you'd consider the majestic Golden Gate, which has welcomed tired sailors, soldiers and immigrants to California - and the West - since it opened in 1937.

But those stuffy fuddy-duddies at Forbes see it differently. In their top 11 most amazing bridges in the world the majestic Golden Gate gets nary a mention.

Their top choice is the Ponte Sant' Angelo in Rome, which was built around the time Christ was born. OK, that makes sense.

But those guys at Forbes didn't think the Gate - or even our state-of-the-art new Bay Bridge - wasn't up to snuff?

Apparently the Golden Gate is iconic, just past its prime, the Forbes' editors say.

But still. When you say "amazing bridge" we'll always and forever say the Golden Gate, no matter what Forbes says.

- Will Kane

E-mail the City Insider team at cityinsider@sfchronicle.com.

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